Demigods:
Mythological and Modern
The definition of a demigod is a being of partial divine status, an offspring of a god and a mortal. Demigods can be seen with supernatural powers or abilities that resemble the god or goddess that is their mother or father. However, unlike their godly parent, they can still be killed due to their mortality.
Some legendary demigods include Aeneas, Heracles, Achilles, and Perseus. Aeneas, the title character of Vergil’s Aenead, is the son of the goddess Venus and the mortal Anchises. He fought for Troy in the Trojan war and fled, leading his people to found what would become Rome. Heracles, famed for his twelve labors, was the son of the mortal Alcmene and Zeus, the king of the gods. Achilles was the son of the nereid Thetis and the mortal Peleus. Zeus and mortal Danae were the parents of Perseus, heroic slayer of Medusa.
By Ryan Kenter
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